Traci Lee

About me

I currently serve as the Vice President of Business Solutions for Bridgepoint Education. In my present role, I provide guidance to the company's ground based and online colleges to optimize their operations while staying within regulatory guidelines.

I have over 22 years of experience in the education industry. My experience encompasses virtually all aspects of the education business, including admissions, financial aid, academics, career services, and management of multi-campus operations. I’ve held senior level management positions at Career Education Corporation, MedVance Institute and the University of Phoenix (Apollo Group) as well as providing consulting services to a multitude of colleges and universities during my tenure with Campus Management Corporation.

My focus has been on campus start ups, regulatory compliance, process improvement, and operational oversight of multiple campus colleges, including international campuses. I recognize the challenges of working in a highly regulated environment that has grown more complex as companies have expanded operations, either organically or through acquisition, to include multiple regulatory bodies and governing oversight entities.

I hold a B.S. degree in Business from Arizona State University and an M.A. degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix. I have completed the Apollo Group's Executive Development Program and the Career College Association's (now APSCU) Leadership Institute.

Activity

Traci Lee

Discussion Comment

Effect of Media

Daniel - Like so many things, the "news" tends to focus on the "drama" of negativity more than the positive items which they may come across. Earlier in these posts, there were some comments about our industry needing to continue to push the media with positive press releases. It's easy to "give up" when they don't always publish the "nice" stuff but, the more we provide to them on the positive side, the better. I recently saw some positive press for a career college in Kentucky - I will find some of these items to post on this site to… >>>

Traci Lee

Discussion Comment

Corrective Action Plans

I agree with you Bonnie, that thorough documentation is important. I also think it's important that the corrective action plan be reasonable for ongoing maintenance - in other words, should meet the needs to correct the problem but, not be "overkill" creating unproductive busy work. I have seen some schools "over commit", creating administrative complexities that did not contribute to the overall quality/improvement of the initial finding.

Traci Lee

Discussion Comment

Compliance in Business Areas

Bonnie - you bring up an interesting point. There is so much focus on privacy but, it is also critical to have appropriate records accessible when they should legally be provided for whatever means for the student. So, in addition to privacy, accuracy and accessibility should also be considered.

Traci Lee

Discussion Comment

Preparing for an Audit

Kathleen - I think you are right that "keeping all departments on their toes" by knowing there is a continuous review process can help drive a compliant culture. Thanks for sharing.

Traci Lee

Discussion Comment

Compliance in Business Areas

Great points, Beth. There are more and more laws regarding privacy forcing entities to protect clients (students in our industry) privacy. Additionally, security breaches can compromise the integrity of the data itself - certainly there have been cases of breaches where grades were allegedly altered - creating major challenges for colleges and universities to "fix" any data which is no longer valid. As you point out, these are often discovered after-the-fact, creating a domino effect of issues to resolve.

Traci Lee

Discussion Comment

Corrective Action Plans

I completely concur - and would add that it is critical that the documentation be tied to a student's record (either hard copy or, ideally electonically) to ensure that it is not just in an employee's drawer or a Word document on an employee's computer. The reality is that, as a school grows, there is no easy way to recall and track down a document unless it is linked direclty to the relevant student's record.

Traci Lee

Discussion Comment

Preparing for an Audit

I like the way you state this, Myung. The common goal concept is a great perspective and approach to the audit process. In addition to the auditors needing this approach vs. the "gotcha" style, the campus operational management also needs to embrace the process. I sometimes see campuses trying to "hide" the facts, even if they are in compliance, rather than making internal audits collaborative. It may sound idealistic but, I have seen great examples of collaboration whereby the audit outcomes lead to progressive improvements that benefit all.

Traci Lee

Discussion Comment

Effect of Media

Thanks for sharing this, Beth. It's a good example of how things can be "twisted" if not handled right. Fortunately, your organization took the opportunity to present a positive on licensed professionals, actually highlighting the important of education to obtain such licensure. I applaud your efforts to familiarize yourself with the requirements and by noting the variations you have, you are well prepared to stay on top of the regulations!

Traci Lee

Discussion Comment

Corrective Action Plans

While there is inevitably paperwork involved, I think there are good practices in place today that focus on processes validation and some electronic tracking. This should reduce the volume of paperwork and keep the audit at a meaningful level that can be easily referenced for follow up without cumbersome, unnecessary volume of information and paper.

Traci Lee

Discussion Comment

Preparing for an Audit

I agree with you that following a compliant routine should be the way to stay on top of things. It seems that many schools still have to do the last minute scrambling to organize or structure files and records. In some cases, I have seen solid processes requesting documents up front but, without the discipline to ensure they are on file within a certain amount of time. For example, proof of staff and faculty credentials is often requested at the time of hire but, sometimes the documents are not received in a timely manner and this creates the "scramble factor"… >>>

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